Trump's Greenland takeover would require 'billions upon billions' spent over decades to acquire a mineral industry that doesn't yet exist, experts say | Fortune

"But what started as a seemingly quixotic proposal to purchase the Arctic island has now morphed into an unprecedented threat against a NATO ally-one that experts told Fortune could cost hundreds of billions of dollars, destroy the Western alliance, and yield minimal economic benefit for decades. Days after invading Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro, Trump doubled down on his proposed plans for the small arctic nation, declaring yesterday that "we need Greenland from a national security situation.""

""People need to understand that he is serious. He wants Greenland to be a part of the United States," Alexander Gray, who served in Trump's first administration and testified before the Senate on Greenland acquisition mechanisms, told Fortune. "How that happens is subject to discussion, but the overall aim is not changing." The Venezuela operation that saw U.S. forces capture Maduro last week has "galvanized" the administration's focus on the western hemisphere."

"But as experts parse Trump's motivations and examine the feasibility of his territorial ambitions, a murky reality emerges: the economic case weak, the security rationale is questionable, and the geopolitical costs could be catastrophic. The shaky economic case Trump officials have repeatedly pointed to Greenland's mineral wealth as justification for U.S. control."

President Donald Trump renewed a 2019 pledge to acquire Greenland and signaled renewed interest in making it U.S. territory, including potential military involvement. The proposal evolved from a speculative purchase idea into an unprecedented geopolitical threat to a NATO ally, with experts warning of hundreds of billions in costs, possible disruption of the Western alliance, and limited economic gains for decades. The administration intensified focus on the western hemisphere after a recent operation in Venezuela, prompting renewed planning for Greenland acquisition. Officials emphasize Greenland's mineral wealth as a justification, but economic viability and security rationales remain weak and contested.

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